This invention relates to fiber optics devices.
Techniques for making fiber optic devices often include bonding a fiber to a substrate. A fiber is laid into a silicon substrate containing a V-groove to align the fiber. The fiber is then bonded in place by applying an adhesive like epoxy or a UV-cure acrylic and curing. The adhesive often contains a silane coupling agent like (3-glycidoxypropyl) trimethoxysilane in order to produce a reliable bond to a native or grown oxide on the surface of the silicon by hydrolyzing and condensing with the pendant hydroxyl groups on the native oxide. Cross linking of the silane is further augmented by exposure to atmospheric moisture. This chemical adhesion process is fraught with problems in adapting it to high-speed manufacturing, such as susceptibility to surface contamination, correct epoxy mix ratios, length of cure time and the like.
The invention includes an optical fiber device, comprising at least one optical fiber over a substrate, at least one reentrant shape in the substrate adjacent to the optical fiber and a polymer that at least partially encapsulates the optical fiber and attaches the optical fiber to the at least one reentrant shape and methods for making the same.